BARF, the recently-formed Bath-based anarchist group, put on an Introduction to Anarchism event in on Saturday November 24th, with speakers and discussions about anarchism, with around 25 people attending, and ample amounts of free tea and cake.
The event started with a short introduction explaining the take on anarchism that BARF promotes - essentially that it is against oppression, discrimination and capitalism; that people are generally decent and responsible and can determine what they do without need for authority and that power corrupts, even temporary power.
The next section was a history lesson, with a talk on the Peterloo Massacre of 1819, where a huge anti-poverty and pro-democracy rally took place and was broken up by police, with 18 deaths and hundreds injured, and the eventual implications of movements and demonstrations where people fought for their rights on today's society.
Anarchism in the workplace was the next topic, with the speaker knocking dead the suggestion that anarchists tend to shy away from work with the statement "The best place to contest capitalism is the workplace". We live in a so-called democracy, but at work it is often a dictatorship, and the workplace that anarchists wish to see is very different. Unions are now bureaucratic structures and their aim is not anti-capitalist - the struggle needs to move beyond what unions can achieve. A big part of anarchism is direct action - taking action yourself, rather than waiting for unions to do it, and in the workplace, solidarity with other workers and looking out for them is the key to defending rights at work. An example of an anarchist workplace is occupied factories in Argentina, where factories facing closing down are now run by the workers. Working hours are now down and wages are up, and excess profit was used to build a co-operative hospital.
The final talk of the day was on anarchism and violence. Anarchists are often portrayed as violent, however the is a large pacifist contingent within the anarchist movement. There is no guarantee that you can avoid damage to things other than the target during violent actions, and the assassination of a leader simply results in a new leader. The debate about violence in anarchy masks the other aspects e.g. workplace organising and community projects. Violence may be necessary in some cases, especially if there was a revolution. Millions die in wars and of starvation and in the workplace from being over-worked - all of which are symptoms of capitalism, which poses the question: Is it more violent to break a window than to fight a war? However, the means have to be consistent with the ends and violent means could result in violent ends. In order for the people to take over, we would have to face police and military - violence may be necessary, a large movement in solidarity could make it easier.
The second half of the event was taken up with discussions over tea, including overcoming barriers to anarchism and supporting those affected by the legal system.
For more information on BARF's take on anarchism, see the very first on by guest blog series "Politcal Perspectives", written by BARF - What is Anarchism?
BARF's website is here: https://network23.org/barf/
For more information on the Peterloo Massacre, On This Deity has a short article, and for a more detailed account check out http://www.peterloomassacre.org/history.html
The states of California and Illinois are bankrupt beyond salvation, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. Many municipalities are on the verge of defaulting on their bonds. Several million retirees have invested their life savings in these “super safe” bonds and depend on them for income. The federal government is itself bankrupt and in no condition to bail out all the rest of the sinners. It is not just the retirees who will suffer. Other millions of municipal and state employees will have to have their wages and pensions drastically reduced or be furloughed. Many jobs will never return. Unions will call strikes and marches on capitols, some of which will become violent and require calling out the National Guard of that state. Guards need to be paid too—somehow.
ReplyDeleteTechnology will advance in certain job categories so rapidly as to obsolete all prior technologies of systems in place in large industries, thus causing intractable dislocations across multiple labor categories. For example, after a huge effort to update its infrastructure the entire electrical distribution system might become obsolete. Electricity might be projected over long distances without wires directly to rooftop-receiving antennas (rectennas). Developments may even be superseded before they are fully implemented. If alternative technologies advance as projected, the so-called “Hydrogen Economy” may become 85 percent obsolete before its infrastructure is completed. In the future, even ships and airplanes may run on projected electricity.
You can buy this book now on any of the following websites:
Strategic Book Publishing Rights Agency: http://sbpra.com/HenryMarkant/
Amazon Books: http://www.amazon.com/Coming-Crises-Their-Solutions-ebook/dp/B00A2WZ4CK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357573018&sr=1-1&keywords=coming+crisis+henry+markant
Barnes and Noble Books: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coming-crises-and-their-solutions-henry-markant/1113749628?ean=2940015922875